The Ireland native and Wales resident had years of experience in tae kwon do, kickboxing and other martial arts, but he was still learning about the world of mixed martial arts.

So he took his first professional fight at 77 kilos (about 170 pounds). But that was mostly his walking-around weight, not a weight after months of preparation, watching his diet and weight cutting.

“I had a shock when I saw the size of the guy coming into fight me,” Duffy told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I made it through that, then I started looking into more details on weight-cutting and training and things where we’re not quite as advanced here.”

Aided by his first fighting trip to the U.S. for his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter 12″ earlier this year, Duffy has changed the way he approaches fighting, and he hopes that will help him advance what has already been a successful career.

As a member of the same club since he started tae kwon do training at 5 years old, Duffy has earned a 7-0 record entering his lightweight fight at the Nov. 27 “Cage Warriors 39: The Uprising” show in Cork City, Ireland. Duffy is scheduled to fight Conner McGregor (5-1) as he continues to be one of the most respected fighters in his weight class in the U.K. and he hopes to someday make a successful return to the U.S.

In the meantime, he’ll continue the training he altered when he learned more about nutrition, weight cutting and other aspects of MMA that go beyond fighting.

“On the fighting side of things I’m happy with where I am,” said Duffy, a 22-year-old resident of Ebbw Vale, Wales. “With the grappling, the standup, I like what we’re doing. But I had no idea what else you need to do to be successful.”

Lifetime club member

Duffy’s father participated in the athletic ventures of his time and place, including rowing, darts and tug-of-war. One brother was a strong swimmer, another was a diver.

But when he was little, Duffy saw one of the Karate Kid film, and his family needed to find an outlet for the result.

“They saw me jumping all around the house,” Duffy said. “I just never stopped.”

He was driven down to a nearby club and, at 5 years old, started his tae kwon do training. By age 6, he was in his first tournament, and he made his way through the changes that all clubs faced as different forms of martial arts became more popular.

Like many of the students, he advanced from tae kwon do to kickboxing to Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“There’s a big change in the club, and in all clubs, really,” Duffy said. “Everyone has had to evolve as MMA has become more serious.”

In 2004, he took his first of 23 amateur fights, which were mostly part of leagues that existed and thrived in Ireland and Wales. Fighters come from all over the country to participate, and a league champion is crowned at the end of the tournament.

After a fight last spring, Duffy came back into his club and heard some guys talking about “TUF” looking for lightweight fighters for its 12th season.

He decided to take a chance.
The “TUF” experience

The tryout was in Charlotte, N.C. Duffy had only been to the U.S. once before, to visit a cousin when he was younger. He bought himself a plane ticket and figured it couldn’t hurt to get some time in front of the producers, even if it was just a few minutes.

“I figured I had nothing to lose,” he said.

He did well in the grappling portion of the tryout, so he stayed to be part of the groups of 20 that worked pads for the observers. Then he advanced to the interview portion, and he learned he had been chosen for the season that debuted in September.

“I didn’t dream I would get in,” Duffy said. “I just wanted to take a chance and see what could happen. The biggest part was just trying to keep it a secret, not being able to tell everyone what was going on.”

It would end up being a short stay on the show, as Duffy was defeated by MMAjunkie.com blogger and veteran fighter Kyle Watson on a rear-naked choke in the elimination round.

The experience helped more MMA fans learn about Duffy. It wasn’t the result any contestant would want, but Duffy looks to the positives.

“I was just inexperienced, really,” Duffy said. “I had never seen anything done in such a professional manner. I had never been around something that big. The other contestants, I feel like they had, and they had confidence, been there and seen it and done it.”

Duffy looks at the experience as a chance to see the differences at the highest level to prepare him for change and improvement in his training. He’s doing many things differently now as he gets ready for his first post-TUF fight, and he hopes to eventually train more in the U.S.

Now he’s not just going into a fight at his walking-around weight. He’s taking care of himself and preparing harder.

“I was able to see a lot of new things (in the U.S.),” Duffy said. “I feel a lot better about what I’m doing.”

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel is the lead features
writer for MMAjunkie.com. His weekly “Fight Path” column focuses on the
circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter
with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.

The Latest

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?

Ronda Rousey’s statistical greatness has already ventured into uncharted territory – just six fights into her UFC career. Check out all the post-fight facts, including Rousey’s latest achievements, about UFC 190.